Kiva Fellow Emmanuel

Location:: Mexico City, Mexico
Occupation:: Kiva Fellow
I loan because:: Kiva borrowers never cease to inspire me with their courage, talent, and dedication!
About me:: As the opportunity of a lifetime: as a Kiva Fellow I spend 8 months with Banco D-Miro in Guayaquil and Fundacion Realidad in Mexico City, strengthening their long partnership with Kiva.
Member Since:: Mar 27, 2011
Bio:: Emmanuel spent most of his first 24 years in Switzerland, leaving the country with a B.A. in Business Administration and Economics, a M.A. in Finance and Capital Markets, and a Green card won at the United States lottery. After volunteering at a soup-kitchen in Washington, D.C., he worked as a classical artist manager in New York before returning to university to obtain a Masters in International Affairs with focus on Latin America and Urban Policy. His first post-graduation work assignment brought him to a development organization in the Guatemalan highlands, followed by a year as Volunteer Program Coordinator of El Museo del Barrio, New York's leading Latino cultural institution. His first trip to Latin America changed his life: In 2007 he spent six months in Buenos Aires, learning Spanish and traveling to Brazil and Chile. For him, this has opened the door to the magical world of Latin America, leading to trips and work in Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, and Honduras. Emmanuel believes that dreams can be realized with great conviction, hard work, and often very little money – microfinance is an instrument that allows both borrowers and lenders to realize their dreams. Emmanuel cannot wait to learn and share the life stories and dreams of borrowers in Guayaquil (Ecuador). He speaks Swiss German, German, French, English, Spanish - and has pledged to learn Catalan before losing all his hair.
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